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Gov. Spencer Cox and Pamela Atkinson advocate for homeless Utah families by asking Utahns to donate on their state tax forms

March 2, 2021
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SALT LAKE CITY (March 2, 2021) — Following a visit today at The Road Home Midvale Family Resource Center with a Utah family who recently experienced homelessness, Gov. Spencer J. Cox encouraged Utahns to give to the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund on their 2020 Utah state tax forms. 

Donations can also easily be made online at jobs.utah.gov/htf.

Gov. Cox also assisted community advocate Pamela Atkinson in delivering children’s clothing donations to the Road Home today. The Road Home is one of many organizations statewide that receive funding from the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund to assist families and individuals in moving out of homelessness.

“While the number of homeless families has been trending down over the past few years, we still have between 250 and 300 homeless families each night in Utah,” said Gov. Cox. “If you can give even a few dollars on your state tax form, it will go a long way to help provide assistance for families in need.”

Most families and individuals who experience homelessness only need a little help to get back on their feet. For example, rapid rehousing programs provide short-term rental assistance and services that help people obtain housing quickly with an 80 percent success rate of people moving into permanent housing.

“We know that the pandemic has been difficult for many Utahns, resulting in job loss and evictions to both families and individuals,” added Atkinson. “Your donations will make a big difference in getting families back into housing during this difficult time.” 

About the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund

All of the donated funds are distributed to agencies throughout the state that provide vital resources for those who are experiencing homelessness. The trust fund is leveraged with other state funding to provide the maximum impact for the following services: 

  • Emergency services – temporary shelters, soup kitchens, day centers and outreach services  
  • Supportive services – varying levels of case management used to help more people move into stable housing  
  • Housing services – rapid rehousing, transitional housing, rental assistance, on-site case management and security

Learn more or donate at jobs.utah.gov/htf.

See more photos from today’s event here. B-roll can be found here.


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